NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The NATO (ICAO) phonetic alphabet from Alfa to Zulu, plus the standard pronunciations for the digits 0 to 9, used to spell out letters clearly over radio and phone.
The NATO phonetic alphabet (the ICAO radiotelephony spelling alphabet) gives each letter a
standard word so it is understood clearly over radio and phone. Note the official spellings
Alfa and Juliett. Click any word to copy it.
Letters
| Letter | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-FAH |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-VOH |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-LEE or SHAR-LEE |
| D | Delta | DELL-TAH |
| E | Echo | ECK-OH |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-TROT |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | HOH-TEL |
| I | India | IN-DEE-AH |
| J | Juliett | JEW-LEE-ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY-LOH |
| L | Lima | LEE-MAH |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | NO-VEM-BER |
| O | Oscar | OSS-CAH |
| P | Papa | PAH-PAH |
| Q | Quebec | KEH-BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW-ME-OH |
| S | Sierra | SEE-AIR-RAH |
| T | Tango | TANG-GO |
| U | Uniform | YOU-NEE-FORM or OO-NEE-FORM |
| V | Victor | VIK-TAH |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-KEY |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-RAY |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-KEY |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-LOO |
Digits
| Digit | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | ZEE-RO |
| 1 | One | WUN |
| 2 | Two | TOO |
| 3 | Three | TREE |
| 4 | Four | FOW-ER |
| 5 | Five | FIFE |
| 6 | Six | SIX |
| 7 | Seven | SEV-EN |
| 8 | Eight | AIT |
| 9 | Nine | NIN-ER |
Pronunciations follow the ICAO table in the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
Several digits are deliberately changed to avoid confusion over poor audio: Three
becomes TREE, Five becomes FIFE, and Nine becomes NIN-ER.
What this does
The NATO phonetic alphabet (the ICAO radiotelephony spelling alphabet) assigns a word to each letter, Alfa to Zulu, so letters are unambiguous over poor audio.
How to use it
- Find a letter or word.
- Read its pronunciation.
- Click a word to copy it.
- Use it to spell out a code or reference.
Example
The registration AB12C is read aloud as Alfa Bravo One Two Charlie.
Last updated .
Frequently asked questions
Why is a phonetic alphabet used?
Many letters sound alike over a phone or radio, like B and P or M and N. A standard word for each letter removes the guesswork so the listener gets it right the first time.
Is it official, and is it the same everywhere?
Yes. It is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) alphabet. NATO adopted it in 1956, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) adopted it soon after, making it the standard for military, civilian and amateur radio.
How are the numbers pronounced?
Digits have their own standard pronunciations to avoid confusion, such as NIN-ER for 9 and FIFE for 5, with TREE for 3 and ZEE-RO for 0.
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